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C H A P T E R 3

Ethical Standards: Guidelines for Helping Others

Maria: Gee, being a counselor is a great job!

Ms. Wicks: Yes, it is, Maria, I enjoy it very much.

Maria: I mean you get to sit in this office and just listen to people complain, you know—chat AND get paid for it!

I t is not that unusual to find individuals who believe that “helping” is simply a process of social chatting and that helpers—be they counselors, psychologists, social workers, and so on—are at best nice people and at

worse frauds. Contrary to this view, those in the helping profession know and appreciate that as a formal process and a profession, helping is a power- ful, awesome process that carries with it equally powerful and significant responsibilities.

Sadly, it is all too easy to find examples of helpers who have abused this power and responsibility. One need only to turn on a television talk show to find examples of unethical therapists who have sexually abused their clients, counselors who have ignored their clients’ suicidal pleas for help, or even medical and social service workers who have personally gained from the misfortune of others. As helpers, we are given the responsibility to care for individuals, who by definition of needing help are often those who

Parsons, R. D., & Dickinson, K. L. (2016). Ethical practice in the human services : From knowing to being. ProQuest Ebook Central <a onclick=window.open('http://ebookcentral.proquest.com','_blank') href='http://ebookcentral.proquest.com' target='_blank' style='cursor: pointer;'>http://ebookcentral.proquest.com</a> Created from capella on 2021-07-12 17:19:13.

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are most vulnerable to manipulation. Given the potential vulnerability of their clients and the power of the helping dynamic, helpers need guidelines for professional decision-making that not only protect but care for those seeking their help. Professional ethics and codes of conduct provide those guidelines.

● OBJECTIVES

The decision-making of the professional counselors, psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists is formed through training and acquired knowledge and skills and guided by their professional codes of conduct and ethics. The chapter will introduce you to the ethical guidelines employed by these professionals. While the uniqueness of each of these professions is reflected within their own ethical principles and codes of conduct, each shares common concern for the welfare of the client. The current chapter discusses the need for these ethical principles and highlights the commonality of ethical principles shared across these professions.

After reading this chapter you should be able to do the following:

• Describe common values and points of concern evidenced in various professional codes of ethical practice.

• Describe what is meant by autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. • Describe what is meant by informed consent, competence, confiden-

tiality, and professional boundaries.

● FORMAL ETHICAL STANDARDS: THE EVOLUTION OF A PROFESSION

Ethics, including professional ethics, are at their core a set of values and beliefs that have been articulated as a guide to sound, moral decision-making. In the most recent revision of the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics, for example, the committee charged with the revisions delin- eated specific professional values that are meant to inform all counselors’ practices, teaching, supervision and research (Meyers, 2014). The values highlighted within the preamble of the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) include the following:

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Chapter 3. Ethical Standards–●–57

• enhancing human development throughout the life span; • honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in support

of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts;

• promoting social justice; • safeguarding the integrity of the counselor–client relationship; and • practicing in a competent and ethical manner.

Neither the values underlying our professional codes of conduct nor the codes themselves bloom in a vacuum. They reflect the meaningful experi- ences and discussions of the members of a profession. And just as our pro- fessions develop over time, in response to expanded knowledge, changing demands and client needs, our ethical codes evolve. They are truly living documents. Documents that are intended to educate all members of the profession and those whom they serve as to the specific responsibilities and expectations of the profession and those operating within the role of profes- sional. And while each of the helping professions shares concerns for the welfare of those whom they serve, the form that concern and service takes is shaped by the unique history, composition and professional values of each profession. For example, the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics makes it clear that “The American Counseling Association (ACA) is an educational, scientific, and professional organization whose members work in a variety of settings and serve in multiple capacities. Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals” (ACA, 2014, p. 3). Whereas the unique identity and responsibilities of those working within the field of social work is presented within the preamble to their professional code of ethics as, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particu- lar attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008).

Our codes of ethics are more than public pronouncements of our professional identity. They are also guidelines for practice. Our codes serve as a standard, accepted by the members of our profession, against which practice decisions and actions can be judged. Thus, when confronted with choices, a practitioner can decide as to the rightness and wrongness of each option, using the code of conduct and ethical principles for that profession as the guideline (see Case Illustration 3.1).

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58–●–ETHICAL PRACTICE IN THE HUMAN SERVICES

Case Illustration 3.1

Making an Ethical Decision

Dr. Louise Thompson is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice. She has been working with Alfonso, a 52-year-old construction worker who was self-referred for depression. Dr. Thompson has been working with Alfonso for approximately eight sessions. In the course of her work, she has identified a primary contributor to Alfonso’s depres- sion. Alfonso is currently on physical disability from his job and now that his physical condition appears to be healing, he has many self- doubts about his ability to return to work. As Alfonso stated, he wishes that he could stay on disability forever.

Dr. Thompson has just received a certified letter from the disability insurance company asking her (a) to assess and report on her client’s ability to return to work and (b) to send all of her records for its review. Dr. Thompson is concerned that, while Alfonso’s physical condition is on the mend, his depression impairs his ability to problem solve, which may be a problem and potential danger given his line of work. Further, Dr. Thompson has recorded in her notes some of Alfonso’s quotes regarding his disdain for his foreman at work, his desire to stay on disability, and his fantasies about damaging the current construc- tion project. She is worried about how these will be interpreted by the company’s insurance firm.

Dr. Thompson is not sure if she should even respond to these requests, especially not being completely sure of her competence to judge capability to return to work. Also, in terms of her clinical notes, she wonders if she should edit her notes or refuse to send some file information. It appears that in some ways what is best for the client may be not to honor the request or to do so after carefully filtering the information. But her concern is whether this is legal. Is it ethical? Dr. Thompson wants to do what is best for her client, while practicing within the standards and codes of conduct for her profession. But the standard is not clear, at least to her, so she is unsure what to do. Luck- ily, Dr. Thompson belongs to the National Association of Social Work- ers. She contacted the association and its legal/ethical consultants and in dialogue with them, has decided on a plan of action. Without her awareness of the complexity of these requests or her ability to refer to her professional association, Dr. Thompson might have made deci- sions that not only would harm her client but legally and ethically jeopardize her ability to practice.

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Chapter 3. Ethical Standards–●–59

Case Illustration 3.2

Sanctioning a Member

While it is rare, any single incident of sexual misconduct is one too many for a profession that operates on the implicit trust of its clients. The following reflects one case (significant details have been modified in order to ensure anonymity) in which the sexual misconduct of one practitioner came to the attention of a second.

Dr. L., a clinical psychologist, was working with a new client who presented herself as depressed and anxious. In ascertaining some back- ground material, Dr. L. discovered that the client had been in therapy for the past four years with a certified marriage and family therapist. Addi- tional data gleaned over the course of the next five sessions revealed that this therapist had seen the client and her husband for marriage counsel- ling but in the course of the counseling referred the husband to another therapist and began treating this client for her “sexual dysfunctions.”

As revealed by the client, the previous therapist started a sexual affair with her that continued for one year, while she was still under his professional care. The client said that she had become increas- ingly depressed in the past few months as a direct result of her previ- ous therapist terminating both the sexual contact and the therapeutic relationship. The explanation he provided was simply that she was too needy and too dependent for him to help her. To make matters worse, she works in the same organization as the therapist and rumor has it that he is currently having an affair with another client.

The client expressed her anger and disgust as well as guilt over the affair. Dr. L. worked on helping her understand that maintaining appro- priate boundaries was not her responsibility but that of the therapist. As a result of their sessions together, the client, while not seeking or desir- ing any legal recourse, shared her concern that this man had access to

(Continued)

In addition to serving as guidelines for practice, our codes serve as guidelines, from which our professions can govern ethical practice. Behind each profession’s code of ethics is a mechanism of governance that gives substance to the ethical principles. Through the use of articulated educa- tional requirements, members of a profession are guided in the development and enactment of their professional roles. Further, when these members fail to perform or practice within the established standard, procedures for disci- plining and sanctioning can be enacted (see Case Illustration 3.2).

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● ACROSS THE PROFESSIONS: A REVIEW OF ETHICAL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE

Typically, practitioners within a profession also hold membership within the associations representing that profession (see Appendix A). Most coun- selors, for example, belong to the American Counseling Association (ACA); psychologists, to the American Psychological Association (APA); marriage and family therapists, to the American Association for Marriage and Family

other vulnerable female clients and that she would not feel good unless she could stop that. Together, she and Dr. L. contacted the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), which was the professional association of the previous therapist. After an exhausting fact-finding period, the AAMFT Board concluded that not only was this claim valid but that a history of such behavior existed. The board revoked his certification, provided him with a treatment and mentoring plan, and forwarded its decision to the local state board of licensing. The therapist, in addition to holding a certificate as a marriage and fam- ily therapist, also was licensed to practice within his state. As a result of AAMFT’s action, his license was revoked.

(Continued)

Thus, these codes of conduct and these ethical principles exist not simply as statements of aspiration but are in fact mandates and standards of professional practice: standards that reflect the knowledge and general consensus of a profession at any given time. However, just as our profes- sions continue to develop in response to new opportunities, demands, knowledge, and technology, so to do our codes of ethics evolve and develop. For example, most codes of conduct prior to the 1990s didn’t pro- vide for increased sensitivity toward (a) diversity and multicultural issues, (b) responding to clients with HIV/AIDS, or (c) nonprofessional relationships between helpers and clients. The ongoing awareness among professionals about the importance of these and other emerging issues has been given voice within the latest editions of these evolving codes of ethics. Because the codes are evolving, it is important that practitioners maintain participa- tion within their professional associations and remain informed about the latest research and literature regarding the ethics of practice.

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Chapter 3. Ethical Standards–●–61

Therapy (AAMFT); and social workers, to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). These professional organizations provide their members with specific statements of guidelines for ethical practice (see Appendix B) and help give clarification to the uniqueness of the role and function of that profession. The ethical principles and codes of conduct included within this text (see Appendix B) reflect the latest versions of these stan- dards. It is important for the practitioner to not only know these standards but to review association news and updates regarding ethics and codes of conduct.

COMMON CONCERNS AND SHARED VALUES ACROSS THE PROFESSIONS

The specific codes of conduct as articulated by each professional organiza- tion (see Appendix B) constitute the mandatory ethics of that profession, reflecting the unique demands and responsibilities of those within that pro- fession. However, cutting across and through the unique principles found within in each profession’s code of ethics are four core values (i.e., auton- omy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice) that serve as the conceptual basis for the specific ethical principles (see Table 3.1).

Thus, while each specialty in the helping field may emphasize one or another ethical principle of practice, it is clear that primary to each of these codes is the concern for and consideration of the welfare and well-being of those with whom these professionals work (see Exercise 3.1).

It is commonly held, across the professions, that the helping relation- ship exists for the clients’ benefit, for their care and NOT for the personal needs or benefits of the helper. The codes of ethics are structured to high- light that focus and guide practice in such a way as to service the needs of the client and protect his welfare. The helper who uses the helping rela- tionship to make her self or himself feel powerful, important, or needed is placing her or his needs before those of the client and is being unethical. It is in placing the rights and needs of the client as primary that an ethical helper begins to establish the general framework for ethical practice. The ethical helper—regardless of the specific helping profession—demonstrates this primacy of the rights and needs of the client by providing the client with informed consent, establishing confidentiality, and creating bound- aries that maintain a professional, competent relationship. While each of these concepts will be explored in depth in subsequent chapters, they are introduced here.

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Exercise 3.1

Identifying Core Values of Ethical Conduct

Directions: For each of the following identify the core value (i.e., auton- omy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice) being demonstrated and whether the helper’s actions are in support (s) or in violation (v) of that core value.

Illustration Core Value

Support? “S”

Violation? “V”

The helper directs the client in terms of what needs to be done and what goals will be set for each session.

The helper cancels an appointment with a client because she pays on a sliding scale and he has the opportunity to schedule a full-pay client in that time slot.

The helper explains to the client that the types of things the client wishes to discuss and the goals he, the client, wishes to achieve require techniques for which the helper is not trained and therefore a referral might be in order.

The client called in crisis. The client was feeling very hopeless and, while apologetic about calling the counselor, expressed her fear that she may hurt herself. Even though the helper was in the middle of a family celebration, she spent the time needed to assess the level of crisis and to ensure that the client felt safe and was with someone who could continue to monitor her, and she offered to set up an immediate appointment for the following day.

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Informed Consent

The ethical helper will demonstrate a respect for the rights of the cli- ent to be fully informed. Clients need to be provided with information that enables them to make informed choices. Clearly, this can pose a challenge in that the helper needs to attain a balance of providing the information needed for informed decision-making at a time and in a manner that the client can understand and successfully use that information. Too much information, too soon, can prove overwhelming, anxiety provoking, and even destructive to the helping process. The goal of informed consent is to promote coop- eration and participation of the client in the helping process. The specifics of such an informing process, in terms of what to present and how to pres- ent it, often create delicate situations and ethical dilemmas as presented in Exercise 3.2. These will be more fully explored in Chapter 8.

Exercise 3.2

An Issue of Informed Consent

Directions: Below you will find a number of scenarios involving a helper and a client for whom informed consent is an issue. As you read the scenarios, identify what, if anything, you would tell the client.

Scenario 1: Allison has been directed by her employer to go to counseling at their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) because of her “attitude at work.’’ The EAP has been directed to evaluate Allison for drug use and to make a report to the employer. What, if anything, should the EAP counselor tell the client?

Scenario 2: Timothy walks into his high school counselor’s office. Timothy says that he is thinking about running away from home. Further, he states that if he is unable to get away from his parents, he will “kill himself.” What information should the counselor con- vey to this client?

Scenario 3: A child psychiatrist is working with an 8-year-old child with severe attention deficit with hyperactivity. The child’s parent told him that this was an “allergy doctor” who may give him some “allergy” medicine. What do you feel the psychiatrist should tell the client?

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Chapter 3. Ethical Standards–●–67

Confidentiality

For helping to be effective, the client must feel free to disclose and share private concerns. For such a sense of freedom to exist, the client needs to feel that the interaction is one that is confidential. As with other areas of practice, confidentiality is not absolute, nor are decisions to hold in confi- dence always black and white (see Exercise 3.3). The use of confidentiality requires professional judgment, which at times can be very challenging. Chapter 9 provides a detailed look at the issue of confidentiality, its limita- tions, and special challenges.

Exercise 3.3

Confidentiality?

Directions: Along with a classmate or colleague, read each of the fol- lowing client scenarios. Identify those in which you feel confidentiality should be maintained and those, if any, in which information needs to be disclosed. After reading Chapter 7, review your initial responses to this exercise and see if they change.

● A 13-year-old tells a school counselor that she is going to have sex with an older boy.

● A husband, in marriage counseling with his wife, calls the coun- selor and informs the counselor that he is currently having an affair with a man but does not want that dis closed in their joint sessions.

● An irate worker informs a counselor that ‘’if I don’t get a raise I’m going to kill Harold’’ (the worker’s boss).

● A young woman informs her therapist that she has herpes and refuses to tell the man she is about to marry.

● A 14-year-old student tells his counselor that he is gay and is interested in experiencing a homosexual relationship.

● A depressed elderly man tells the nursing home social worker that he has been saving his medications and intends to overdose on them.

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Appropriate Boundaries for Professional Relationships

Finally, it is generally agreed that the client has a right to enter a pro- fessional relationship with the helper. Relationships in which the helper is using the interaction with the client to meet his or her own personal needs or situations in which there exists a dual relationship between the helper and the client—such as may be the case when the helper and client have social and personal relationships—threaten this principle of professional contact. As with all of the ethical guidelines, it is not a simple, cut-and-dried matter. Clearly, there are times and situations when one may be a friend and yet be able to gain the professional objectivity to assist the client. Under these situations, it is important for the helper to attempt to define and maintain some control or boundaries on the types of information being dis cussed or on the nature of the relationship as it may be appropriate to each of the varied roles (e.g., friend or helper) (see Case Illustration 3.3). The issues of boundaries and the eth ical use of power are discussed in detail in Chapter 10.

Case Illustration 3.3

Maintaining Boundaries and Clarifying Roles

Alex is a school counselor working at Mt. Helena High School. Alex was asked to work with a female student, Nguyen, who was new to the school and about whom the teacher, Mr. E., had some “serious concerns.” Alex liked to consult with teachers whenever possible, so before meeting with the student, he went to talk with Mr. E. In conver- sation with Mr. E., he dis covered that Mr. E. was concerned that this girl “looked just like his girlfriend Kim,” and he just recently discovered that his girlfriend “was a liar and cheat.” When asked directly as to the relevance, Mr. E. became very upset, started to cry, and said, “It’s not Nguyen who needs the help, it’s me—I can’t get over her, I can’t believe she was cheating on me. I feel like such an idiot.”

Alex asked Mr. E. to come down to his office. Alex felt that he needed to reach out to his colleague in crisis and attempt to assist him in calming down and maybe make a plan for dealing with his own emotional upset. The following dialogue ensued:

Alex: It is clear that what has happened with you and Kim has been very upsetting to you. It even seems to be carrying over into your work.

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Helper Competence

A final ethical principle shared across the various helping professions is that a helper must be aware of the limitations of his or her own professional competence and not exceed those limitations in the delivery of his or her service. It is all too easy for a helper to find himself or herself alone in an office or in the field of practice without teachers, mentors, or supervisors looking over her or his shoulder and assume that she or he can try this or that new technique or approach or deal with any and all problems or situa- tions presented. Such is not the case. New techniques and new approaches

Mr. E: (crying): It is. I can’t sleep. I haven’t eaten in the last two days. I don’t care anymore.

Alex: It can certainly feel crushing when you lose someone you cared about.

Mr. E: (gaining some composure): Alex, I feel like such a fool; she and I were talk ing about getting married. But apparently she thought there was something wrong with me sexually or I couldn’t . . .

Alex: (interrupting): Joe, it sounds like you have a lot of questions that need to be answered. Questions about your relationships, maybe even questions about yourself and the types of relation- ships you find yourself in . . . I know this is a painful time, but sometimes these are the times when, with the help of another; we really can gain some insight and grow.

Mr. E: I know, it just hurts so much! You said, with the help of another. Would you work with me?

Alex: First of all, Joe, I’m honored you’ve asked. But you and I are colleagues. We need to work together all of the time, plus I am trained as a school counselor and really not able to provide you the counseling that would be best for you. I do know people who are excellent for these kinds of experiences and I could give you their names and maybe even help you make a connection, if you would like.

Mr. E: Yeah . . . think I really need to do this. Thanks, Alex. I would appreciate those names. And (smiling) you don’t have to call Nguyen down, she’ll be fine.

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need to be learned and practiced under the appropriate supervision. Simi- larly, we cannot be everything to everybody (see Case Illustration 3.4).

● BEYOND KNOWING: A CALL TO BEING ETHICAL

It is clear that to be an ethical practitioner one must be ful1y aware and knowledgeable about the specific codes of conduct governing one’s profes- sion. However, as suggested previously, these codes of ethics reflect the

Knowing the limits to our competence, being willing to seek ongoing training and supervision, and knowing when to seek consultation from a colleague or make a referral to another helper are all characteristics of an ethical helper and are all discussed in detail in Chapters 11, 13, and 14.

Case Illustration 3.4

Knowing Limits of Competence

Lewis is a marriage and family therapist certified through AAMFT. Lewis has been in private practice for two years and has already developed a reputation as an ethical, effective helper. A couple called and asked to make an appointment because they were having a lot of problems “communicating.” During the intake interview, Lewis discovered that the wife had been sexually abused by both her father and her uncle from the age of 4 through to the age of 17. The woman revealed that, while she had never had counseling or therapy for this issue of abuse, she felt that she had resolved this issue and no longer had any problem with it.

As the interview continued, it became clear to Lewis that Elsa (the wife) was severely depressed and gave evidence of problems much deeper than the marital communications problem originally presented. Since Lewis didn’t feel competent to diagnose the level of her problems or the possible existence of a personality disorder, he felt that proceed- ing as the couple requested to investigate communication issues might be a disservice to the couple and might even cause harm to the wife, should it engage her in painful memories. Lewis explained his concerns to the couple and helped them understand the value of the referral he was making.

Through careful, sensitive dialogue with this couple and an aware- ness of the limits of his own competence, Lewis was able to help this couple, and more specifically Elsa, get the assistance that they needed.

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ever-changing demands and needs of the members of that profession and the experiences of competing rights and responsibilities arising in the course of professional practice. As such, the codes are continually reviewed and revised. The ethical helper needs to keep current on his or her understand- ing of the literature reflecting the issues involved in ethical practice. Further, ethical practitioners need to consult with knowledgeable colleagues or members of their associations’ boards of ethics anytime they have a concern about the ethical conflict of their practice decisions. This level of awareness and level of knowledge is the minimum for the ethical practitioner.

However, as noted, the focus of this text and the goal of each profes- sional is not simply to know the ethical principles of one’s profession. The call is for each professional to assimilate and incorporate these principles into his or her decision-making process (see Chapter 7). An organization’s code of conduct and articulated ethical principles represent the collective concern and values of the members of that organization. However, until they are assimilated and personally valued by the practitioner, they remain only nice ideas and wishful guidelines. As each helper develops within his or her professional practice, he or she will not only gain increased knowl- edge and skill but will also begin to formulate internal values and standards of practice. The eth ical helper must be willing to reflect on the guidelines provided by his or her profession as well as relevant dialogue with col- leagues and then continue to formulate his or her own values that will then direct his or her helping interactions. In this way, the codes of ethics move from nice ideas or even meaningful statements to becoming embodied ways of practicing.

The goal is not simply to “know” ethics but rather to be ethical. The remainder of the book is devoted to help you in the process of moving from knowing ethics to being ethical.

CONCLUDING CASE ILLUSTRATION ●

Returning to our ongoing case of Ms. Wicks and Maria, Ms. Wicks has identi- fied a number of values or beliefs that are currently giving shape to Maria’s decision-making and to the helping relationship that is beginning to take significant shape.

As you read the exchange below, begin to identify explicit or implicit areas of potential ethical conflict. While no specific violations of ethics may have occurred to this point, a number of issues are revealed for which an understanding of the code of professional ethics would be essential as a guide for Ms. Wick’s decision-making. The questions at the end of the exchange are provided to guide you in your reflections.

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Maria: You know I just realized that you got me talking about stuff . . . like sex and stuff that I don’t tell nobody.

Ms. Wicks: I truly appreciate your willingness to share things about yourself, it really . . .

Maria: (interrupting): Yeah . . . but you are not going to tell anyone. I mean like you know my aunt.

Ms. Wicks: Your aunt?

Maria: Yeah, Gloria Enrique. She was a teacher in Elsewhere High, where you used to work. Anyway, she told me you guys are like a priest and you can’t say anything to anybody about what I tell you. Like, now this is just a for instance, but, what if I tell you I’m going to run away and go live with my boyfriend because he’s dying of AIDS. You can’t tell my mom or my aunt?

Ms. Wicks: Your boyfriend has . . .

Maria: (again, interrupting): Yeah, we talked about it and stuff . . . but this happened before he met me . . . so like I’m the only one who knows and I want to be with him and take care of him.

Reflections

1. Does the fact that Ms. Wicks previously worked with Maria’s aunt violate any professional values? Create a possible boundary conflict?

2. Maria sees the mental health practitioner as protecting her confi- dentiality the same way a priest may regard material shared in the confessional. What are your feelings about this? What do you think Ms. Wicks should say? Do?

3. What should Ms. Wicks do about this new information regarding Maria’s intent to run away? Is that something she should hold in confi- dence? How about the information about the boyfriend having AIDS? Should she disclose this information? If so, to whom? If not, why not?

4. Of all the information, both explicit and implied, that Ms. Wicks has gained to this point, what, if anything, should be documented and recorded?

● COOPERATIVE LEARNING EXERCISE

The purpose of this chapter was to introduce you to the role and function of professional ethics. But beyond this cognitive purpose, the hope was also to stimulate you to begin to value the need for a professional code of ethics

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Chapter 3. Ethical Standards–●–73

and a desire to embrace it for your profession. The following is intended to assist you in this valuing process.

As with all of these cooperative exercises, the benefit that comes from the guided personal reflection is augmented by the sharing of this perspec- tive with others.

Directions: Read each of the following scenarios. Identify areas of ethi- cal concern in which issues of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice may be operative:

• In the case illustration, the client, Maria, shared the possibility that she was having unprotected sex with a boyfriend whom she identified as having AIDS. Since AIDS is a medical condition and sexual activity is a personal decision, should either of these issues be of ethical concern for Ms. Wicks?

• Given your current level of training and the ethical concern for prac- ticing within one’s level of competence, what type of helping or for what type of client or problem do you currently feel competent to assist? What else will you need to do to increase your level of compe- tence to be an ethical professional?

• If codes of ethics are commonly shared guidelines to be employed by each member of a specific profession, what role and level of respon- sibility does a member have in monitoring that his or her colleagues practice ethically?

• Identify two forms of unethical practice that you feel deserve maxi- mum sanctioning by one’s profession. What form should the sanction- ing take?

SUMMARY ●

• Professional codes of ethics serve to educate the public and the mem- bers of that profession as to the specific responsibilities and expec- tations of that role and thus provide a mechanism for monitoring professional accountability and providing for improvement of practice.

• Each professional organization provides its members with specific guidelines for ethical practice and helps give clarification to the uniqueness of the role and function of that profession.

• While codes of ethics are unique to each profession, the following principles cut across the varied codes: (a) autonomy or the value of self-determination; (b) beneficence or the promotion of good for oth- ers; (c) nonmaleficence, meaning to do no harm; and (d) justice.

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74–●–ETHICAL PRACTICE IN THE HUMAN SERVICES

• The goal for ethical practice demands more than simply knowing the ethical principles of one’s profession. The call is for each profes- sional to assimilate and to incorporate these principles into his or her decision-mak ing process.

• Ethical helpers must be willing to reflect on the guidelines provided by their profession, dialogue with colleagues about the guidelines, and then continue to formulate and reformulate their own values, which will then direct their helping interactions.

● IMPORTANT TERMS

● ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Bashe, A., Anderson, S. K., Handelsman, M. M., & Klevansky, R. (2007). An accultura- tion model for ethics training: The ethics autobiography and beyond. Profes- sional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(1), 60–67.

Jennings, L., Sovereign, A., Bottoroff, N., Mussell, M., & Vey, C. (2005). Nine ethical values of master therapists. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 27(1), 32–47.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)

American Counseling Association

American Psychological Association (APA)

autonomy

beneficence

boundaries

codes of conduct

competent

confidentiality

decision-making process

ethics

informed consent

justice

marriage and family therapist

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

nonmaleficence

power

professional relationship

sanction

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Chapter 3. Ethical Standards–●–75

Kitchener, K. S. (1984). Intuition, critical evaluation and ethical principles: The foun- dation for ethical decisions in counseling psychology. Counseling Psychologist, 12(3), 43–55.

Sheperis, D. S., Henning, S. L., & Kocet, M. M. (2016). Ethical decision making for the 21st century counselor. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Sisti, D. A., Caplan A. L., & Rimon-Greenspan, H. (2013). Applied ethics in mental health care: An interdisciplinary reader. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Web-Based

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (AAMFT) (2015). Codes of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.aamft.org/imis15/content/legal_ethics/ code_of_ethics.aspx

American Counseling Association. (2014). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http:// www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American Mental Health Counselors Association. (2010). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.amhca.org/resource/resmgr/Docs/ AMHCA_Code_of_Ethics_2010_up.pdf

American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/principles.pdf

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics (Rev. ed.). Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

REFERENCES ●

American Counseling Association. (2014). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http:// www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/principles.pdf

Meyers, L. (2014). A living document of ethical guidance. Counseling Today. Retrieved from http://ct.counseling.org/2014/05/a-living-document-of-ethical-guidance/

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics (Rev. ed). Retrieved from: http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

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